Karen Brady
While the Grady County Commissioners took no action on the item, there was much discussion about the county drug testing program.
“The sheriff is utilizing another agency for drug testing,” said Garland Terry of Motionworks, the company Grady County uses for employment drug testing as well as random testing. “The county needs to decide whether individual departments are going to go out on bids for drug testing or if it’s going to be under the safety department.”
Terry said Grady County Sheriff Art Kell asked for Motionworks to do a pre-employment drug test on an individual whom Kell wanted to go to work immediately. Because the drug test could not be done on such short notice, Terry said Kell went to another agency to have the person tested.
“It takes 24 hours for a negative drug test or a pending test,” said Terry. “It takes up to five days for a positive test.”
Terry said individuals with a pending drug test are asked to provide more information about any prescriptions or medications they may be taking before final test results are given.
Terry said the main reasons for having all drug testing done by the same agency are continuity, bidding processes and acquisition of a timely driving list. The driving list being a list of all Grady County employees who drive county-owned vehicles and who are subject to random drug testing.
“We have had trouble getting timely driver lists from the safety department, we’ve called many times. We need the lists within two weeks after the end of each quarter to keep in compliance with ODOT,” Terry said. “It is important for us to have an updated list of who drives a county vehicle, so we have got to have better communication from Terry (Beard). I need those reports in a timely manner and if the sheriff is allowed to use another testing agency, and individual departments go out for their own bids, it changes the structure and the dynamics of a random pool.”
Terry said Motionworks has no current contract with Grady County for drug testing, but has a “gentleman’s agreement.”
Chickasha Community Development Director Steve Chapman spoke to the board about a $207,000 grant, with about $90,000 going to cover repair of the courthouse roof, and the remaining funds going to the signal light project. The board gave Chapman the authority to submit the grant application.
Jeremy Townsend of PSO spoke to the board about a PSO program to improve the efficiency of the lighting at the courthouse.
which would include a rebate from PSO of $4,883.36. Townsend explained how the county could save about $5,600 annually by retrofitting the fluorescent bulbs and ballasts in the building and how by doing so the new lighting would pay for itself within two years by saving 65 percent in lighting costs.
“I am certainly in favor of moving forward with it,” said District No. 2 Commissioner Mike Lennier.
Other agenda items covered include going out for bids on a 2009 pickup for the treasurer’s office and a new 2008 or 2009 Ford Fusion for the assessor’s office. Other bids included bids for typesetting, printing and delivery of ballot proofs for the election board and labor only for plumbing repairs on the courthouse.
